This is a treatise we have written concerning humility
(Khushu') and the hearts meekness and breaking (inkisar) before the
Lord. The basic meaning of Khushu', is the softness of the heart, its
being gentle, still, submissive, broken, and yearning. When the heart
is humble, so too is the hearing, seeing, heard, and face; indeed all
the limbs and their actions are humbled, even speech. This is why the
Prophet (saw) would say in his bowing (ruku), "My hearing, sight,
bones, and marrow are humbled to You," another narration has, "and
whatever my foot carries." One of the Salaf saw a man fidgeting in his
prayer and remarked, 'If the heart of this person was humble, so too
would his limbs be.' The source of the Khushu, that takes place in the
heart is the gnosis of Allah's greatness, magnificence, and perfection.
The more gnosis a person has of Allah, the more Khushu' he has. The
greatest action of worship which manifests the Khushu, of the body to
Allah is the prayer (Salaah). Allah has praised those who have Khushu'
in the prayer

He was the noble Imaam, the Haafidh,
the Critic, Zayn-ud-Deen
‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Ahmad bin ‘Abdir-Rahmaan bin
al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Abil-Barakaat Mas’ood As-Salaamee
Al-Baghdaadee (due to his place of birth), Al-Hanbalee (due to his
madh-hab), Ad-Dimashqee (due to his place of residence and death). His
kunyah was Abul-Faraj, and his nickname was Ibn Rajab, which was the
nickname of his grandfather who was born in that month (of Rajab).

He was born in
Baghdad in 736H and was raised by a knowledgeable family, firmly rooted
in knowledge, nobility and righteousness. His father played the
greatest role in directing him towards the beneficial knowledge.

Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab,
may Allaah have mercy on him, was deeply attached to the works of
Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah, for he would issue legal rulings
according to them and would constantly reference his books. This is
since he served as a student under Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, the most
outstanding student of Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah, may Allah have
mercy on all of them. But in spite of this, he (rahimahullaah)
wasn’t a blind follower or a fanatical adherent (to his
teacher). Rather, he would review, authenticate, verify and follow the
evidences.

Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab, may Allaah have
mercy on him passed to the realm of the Akhira in
Ramadaan, 795H. He died while in Damascus. >>
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